Chinese word dictionary

始作俑者

shǐ zuò yǒng zhě · lit. the first person to make funerary figurines (idiom); fig. the originator of an evil practice

Practice word

Word information

Simplified始作俑者

Traditional始作俑者

Pinyinshǐ zuò yǒng zhě

Part of speechDictionary

HSK 3.0Not listed

HSK 2.0Not listed

Character breakdown

Study each Hanzi separately, then return to the complete word so pronunciation, meaning, and movement stay connected.

始shǐ

to begin, to start; beginning

作zuò

to make; to write, to compose; to act, to perform

俑yǒng

wooden figure buried with dead

者zhě

that which; they who; those who

How to learn 始作俑者

Listen once without reading, repeat the pinyin with its tones, then write every character in sequence. Finally, recall the complete meaning instead of memorizing each character as an isolated translation.

When the word appears in a sentence, check whether its part of speech and meaning match the definition shown here. Chinese words can change nuance with context.

Related vocabulary

Words with the same characters

Compare how a familiar Hanzi changes meaning inside another word.

工作gōngzuò

to work; (of a machine) to operate; job; work; task; CL:個|个[ge4],份[fen4],項|项[xiang4]

开始kāishǐ

to begin; beginning; to start; initial; CL:個|个[ge4]

作为zuò wéi

one's conduct; deed; activity; accomplishment; achievement

工作日gōngzuòrì

workday; working day; weekday

或者huòzhě

or; possibly; maybe; perhaps

作业zuòyè

school assignment; homework; work; task; operation; CL:個|个[ge4]; to operate